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Garden State Rockstar

I would like to use this blog entry to promote a friend of mine by the name of Criss Patrik. Many of my friends are musicians who are trying to get signed and have one foot into the door. I am grateful to be surrounded by such a tremendous amount of talent. I kid you not, I have heard this guy sing and he is American Idol material. Don't just take my word for it, though. Check out Criss Patrik on his website and give his music a listen. He is a very talented singer who could use some musical accompaniment. Give this guy some love, and if perchance there are any musicians in the Freehold area that stumble upon this blog, you might want to give him a holler.

A little bit of news

I will have a poem published in Boston Literary Magazine in the very near future. I am super-excited about this. Once I find out when it will be published, I will update this blog entry. In the meantime, here is the poem:

"Coffee"
by Jack M. Freedman

I watch attentively
As your sensuality starts to percolate.
You are now nice and hot.
I want to put some cream into you
Stirring it in deeply.
Your spirit is light.
Your demeanor is sweet.
Your essence is strong.
Sometimes I like to whip the cream,
Adding some sugary goodness to the mix,
For these gentle gestures make all the difference.
You make me rise.
You make me shine.
You make me smile.
I engulf myself within your pool
Of flesh felicity,
For you make me jittery.
I ricochet off walls
Just thinking about you.
You put a sparkle in my eyes
As I taste you,
Swishing you around
In my mouth.
Pupils dilate with delight.
Cranial neurons shimmy.
Muscles tighten
As the last drop is consumed.
You are definitely
The best part of waking up.

In addition, I will also have a poem published in the next couple of months in Espresso Ink, a journal based in Tallahassee, Florida. Whereas the the first poem deals with one of my favorite beverages, the next poem centers around one of my favorite fruits:

"Under One Thick Skin"
by Jack M. Freedman

Branches bear blood
connected to the navel of nature.
From Valencia to Jaffa,
seeds of labor and peace
scatter through the grass.
Pry open the fruit
and you will see
no section is superior.
Every section is equal.
If only the world was an orange,
with all divisions united
under one thick skin.

Blackout

If you can read this, you have x-ray vision.

וַיִּגַּשׁ

A good friend of mine is a student at the Kabbalah Centre here in New York. I also know her through Toastmasters, a club dedicated to training people to become better public speakers. When the meeting ended, we started chatting. She told me that I had fulfilled the parashat for that particular week: Vayigash. Vayigash is Hebrew for, "then he drew near.". After researching the parashat, I learned about Judah's plea for mercy to Joseph on behalf of Benjamin, the youngest brother of Jacob and Rachel. Joseph pretended not to know him, but as Judah offered himself as a servant, Joseph became emotional. He reveals himself to his brothers and weeps as he learns of his father's welfare. In the end, Jacob's family takes refuge in Egypt, as per the permission of Pharaoh.

In many cases, one must confront the darkness that befalls them. In this case, Joseph had to confront the trauma of the malice aforethought of his brothers. Eventually, he would forgive, and then release. We, like Joseph, must confront our darkness and our demons head on. They often linger, waiting to strike at vulnerable moments. This is where your bravery comes into effect. When the Light is embraced, one may eradicate the sordid past that manifests itself in the present.

After giving an extensive 10 minute speech on bullying, the Kabbalah student informed me of this parashat from the Zohar. This was a wonderful synchronous moment, for I felt a huge release from speaking about a subject that hit close to home. I feel that now, I have a greater chance of healing from these scars.

RIP Amanda Cummings

This is the first blog of the year. I want to start it off right by addressing an issue that plagues our nation to the nines. This video says it all.